Donkey Punch?
I was wondering about the origin of the term "Donkey Punch" yesterday and did some research. In the back of my head was a memory about "Lumberjacks" and "donkeys" and such machines when I fancied them in my youth. I ended up writing a gentleman who authored a book about Steam Donkeys of the Pac. NW. He answered this morning.
The correct term is DONKEY PUNCHER, at least as used in the Northwest and it is the person who runs the steam donkey. That was the job of my father. He preferred the term ENGINEER, however.
The predeccesor of steam power was animal power, and the term orginated with the ox teams via the men who drove the bulls, i.e: bull puncher, or bull whacker.
When it came time to clean the boiler flues, it was sometimes referred to as punching the flues. However, I don't know if there is a connection with the the two words in that way.
For further info, you might want to refer to my book, IN SEARCH OF STEAM DONKEYS. I don't know where you are, but the book is in several libraries in the Northwest, and book dealers can get it. Also, the book LOGGERS LEXICON is a good source. Both are published by Timber Times of Hillsboro, Oregon.
There is a great deal of ignorance and/or misconception about the steam logging era, and I have devoted my retirement years to setting the record straight. Donkey is a generic term, whereas they were referred to by the loggers by type of machine. For example, loaders, incline machines, yarders, and skidders. Each unique in design. Maybe I should contact the publishers of Websters dictionary, because there is one definition they show that is misleading because it refers to a small engine. Some donkeys weighed 200 tons!
As you probably know, the language tends to drift with or without logic as the years go by. For example, Disney made a film in Oregon several years ago and referred to their small steam locomotives as "donkeys." Wrong. A donkey is not a locomotive.
Incidentally, the term LUMBER JACK is not used in the Northwest, except by outsiders. Here it's LOGGER.
Thank you for your interest.
Till then,
Merv Johnson
This is why I love the Internet. If I'm currious, I just write a letter and I (usually) get a reply pretty quickly.
Thanks Merv!
The correct term is DONKEY PUNCHER, at least as used in the Northwest and it is the person who runs the steam donkey. That was the job of my father. He preferred the term ENGINEER, however.
The predeccesor of steam power was animal power, and the term orginated with the ox teams via the men who drove the bulls, i.e: bull puncher, or bull whacker.
When it came time to clean the boiler flues, it was sometimes referred to as punching the flues. However, I don't know if there is a connection with the the two words in that way.
For further info, you might want to refer to my book, IN SEARCH OF STEAM DONKEYS. I don't know where you are, but the book is in several libraries in the Northwest, and book dealers can get it. Also, the book LOGGERS LEXICON is a good source. Both are published by Timber Times of Hillsboro, Oregon.
There is a great deal of ignorance and/or misconception about the steam logging era, and I have devoted my retirement years to setting the record straight. Donkey is a generic term, whereas they were referred to by the loggers by type of machine. For example, loaders, incline machines, yarders, and skidders. Each unique in design. Maybe I should contact the publishers of Websters dictionary, because there is one definition they show that is misleading because it refers to a small engine. Some donkeys weighed 200 tons!
As you probably know, the language tends to drift with or without logic as the years go by. For example, Disney made a film in Oregon several years ago and referred to their small steam locomotives as "donkeys." Wrong. A donkey is not a locomotive.
Incidentally, the term LUMBER JACK is not used in the Northwest, except by outsiders. Here it's LOGGER.
Thank you for your interest.
Till then,
Merv Johnson
This is why I love the Internet. If I'm currious, I just write a letter and I (usually) get a reply pretty quickly.
Thanks Merv!